Age-Friendly Minnesota / Age Friendly Minnesota

A Commitment to Our Future

Age-Friendly Minnesota Director

We are happy to announce that we have Mike Saindon filling the role of Interim Age-Friendly Minnesota Director. Mike has worked for the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) and Minnesota Board on Aging (MBA) since 2012. In Mike’s first role at DHS he worked in the Policy Integration Unit on elderly waiver and alternative care policy. He also served as staff to the MBA supporting and ensuring the Area Agencies on Aging develop plans consistent to the state plan on aging. Mike also provided grant management and oversight for the Live Well at Home and Eldercare Development Partnership grants.

Kirsten Olson has transitioned from being the Interim Age-Friendly Minnesota Director to a Legal Services Developer in the Resource Development Unit with Aging and Adult Services Division. In the last ten months, Kirsten has led the work of the Governor's Council on Age-Friendly Minnesota and the Multisector Blueprint for Aging. During her tenure, she has built a team, engaged multiple sectors in Age-Friendly convenings and balanced the many external stakeholder demands. We are grateful to Kirsten for leading Age-Friendly Minnesota through the critical work and her continued expertise within the Aging and Adult Services Division.

Multisector Blueprint

for an Age-Friendly Minnesota

Over the past several years, the Age-Friendly Minnesota Council has been leading the development of the state's first Multisector Blueprint for Aging. This ten-year, cross-sector plan represents a powerful new way to elevate and coordinate aging across state agencies, and to co-design policy, programs, and funding across sectors with an aging lens. After extensive engagement and planning, Age-Friendly Minnesota is excited to release the first version of the Multisector Blueprint for Aging. We thank the many partners and people who have contributed to this work, and we invite you to join us as implementation begins!

View the interactive blueprint for the Multisector Blueprint for Aging.

Learn more about the Multisector Blueprint for Aging by watching this 14 minute video and/or visit the Blueprint page on agefriendlymn.org.

After you've reviewed the draft framework for the Multisector Blueprint for Aging, we would like to hear your thoughts, ideas, and feedback on the design, domains, strategies, issues within your communities that needs to be addressed, and partners to lead the efforts.

At a Glance: Age-Friendly Minnesota Grants Update

Community Grants

Age-Friendly Minnesota received 191 applications for its second round of Community Grants. Community Grants are designed to expand the reach and impact of age-friendly work through diverse community initiatives, systems change work and community development, as well as the Multisector Blueprint for Aging. This round of Community Grants will be awarded in four Funding Areas:

Connected Communities
Emergency Preparedness, Individual Rights and Safety
Optimized Health and Longevity
Economic Security and Vitality

Please note the following key dates:

Grant Applicant Conference Recording, October 16, 2024
- CG Applicant Conference Presentation Handout
- Responses to Age-Friendly Minnesota Community Grant Applicant Questions
Applications were due Friday, November 8, 2024, by 4:00 pm CST.
Grant funding period is anticipated to be 13 months, from mid-February 2025 through March 30, 2026

Technical Assistance Provider Grants

Age-Friendly Minnesota awards and welcomes fourteen Minnesota organizations for the Technical Assistance Provider (TAP) Grant. This grant period will run from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2026.

THANK YOU!

Thank you for making the first
Age-Friendly Minnesota
2023 Trends + Innovations Conference
and Regional Exchange a success!

Click here to watch recordings of all the live sessions!